Cosmic Love
by Nee Lily Evans
Summary: Remus is sick. Sirius is beaten by his family in secret. A turn of fate and a bit of chance changes their lives dramatically. Sick!Remus, SBRL, and JPLE of course. Inspired by The Fault in Our Stars and Florence & The Machine. AU
1. Prologue

_A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes..._

Prologue

_Sirius _

It was a crisp autumn morning at Hogwarts boarding school. The weather was just beginning to get chilly and the trees that were littered upon the grounds and the surrounding forests had taken up varying, lovely hues of gold, red, and orange. The birds were just beginning to wake, and their sweet songs drifted through the air like chiming bells.

Sirius Black, however, could give a damn about the bloody birds. Sirius was many things. He was athletic, he was rebellious, he was loyal, he was brash, and he was brilliantly brave. One thing the seventh year was not, though, was a morning person. Especially now, when his best friend of many years was beating him over the head with a pillow.

"Come on, Padfoot! You're going to be late!" James exclaimed, once again bringing the feathered pillow down upon Sirius's face.

"Prongs, if you hit me with that damned pillow one more time, I will shove it up your arse," Sirius drawled in a deadpan voice.

"Good morning to you too, grumpy," James said. He sighed, tossing the pillow back onto his bed as Sirius sat up upon his own. He watched as Sirius wiped the sleep out of his eye, before grabbing his trainers off the floor, and hastily pulling them on.

He was just about finished with the left foot when Sirius spoke, albeit groggily.

"What time is it, anyway?" he asked, throwing his thick duvet off of himself as he made his way over to the wardrobe. Once there, he pulled the door open harshly, rummaging around in an attempt to find a clean uniform.

"It's 8:50, mate," James informed him. Sirius groaned. Class started at 9:00.

"Why didn't you or Peter wake me up?!" He snapped from the wardrobe, where he managed to find one of his uniforms. It seemed to be clean as far as he could tell, so he hastily began dressing, throwing his night clothes halfway across the dorm room.

"Padfoot, mate, you're the one who usually wakes me up, remember? And Peter had detention this morning for breaking a beaker in chemistry yesterday."

Well, that was true. Though Sirius didn't particularly enjoy the morning, he did have a habit of waking up early. Usually, the pain in his joints woke him up long before he would actually like to be, but that didn't seem to be a problem this morning. Maybe the medicine they had him on was starting to work. That would be a blessing.

Nevertheless, he didn't particularly enjoy being late. As much as he liked to tease Professor McGonagall, she could get quite cross with her students for tardiness, and on this particular morning he didn't quite feel like getting on her bad side.

"Sorry, mate. Didn't mean to oversleep," he said glancing at James. His messy haired friend just shrugged good naturedly.

"It's fine," James reassured, slipping his school bag over his shoulder. "Just hurry to English. I don't think our Minnie will be as forgiving as your wonderful, amazing, handsome, hilarious, awesome best mate is," James said with a laugh.

"Don't I know it, Prongs!" Sirius agreed as he hurriedly pulled his jumper on over his head. He was starting to fiddle with his tie as James made his way to the door.

"See you in a few," James said as he raced into the corridor. The door closed behind him with a click. Sirius was fully dressed a few moments after James's exit, and ran into their adjoining bathroom, brushing his hair, teeth, and putting on deodorant faster than he knew was possible. The shower looked tempting, but he really did not have the time for it.

Giving himself a once over in the mirror, he nodded. He ran back into his dorm room and searched around frantically for his own school bag. After a minute of hurried looking, he found it under a pile of James and Peter's dirty laundry. He hissed in distaste at the smell, but only for the briefest moment.

As he glanced at the clock, he saw that it was already 8:58. He had two minutes to get to a class that was halfway across the castle grounds. Without another thought, he sprang to action, racing out the door, jumping over various piles of stuff (alternatively his and James's things, but mostly James's. The boy was a pig when it came to their shared dorm, honestly.)

The black haired youth raced through the stone corridors, running at top speed. A few prefects hollered at him not to run in the halls as he passed, but he ignored them. The stone walls flashed by in his peripheral vision as he turned the corner of the next corridor. He continued to race to English, his body on autopilot as he was not quite awake yet.

His mind was completely elsewhere as he rounded the next corner. Needless to say, he was quite confused when his body made contact with something hard. Sirius tried to stop, but the momentum of his body continued his progression forward, taking him and whatever had blocked his path down to the hard floor.

He heard a groan beneath him a moment later, and glanced down to see a tawny haired boy trapped beneath him. His eyes studied the boy, taking in his beaten up attire and the scars that littered his hands. They looked like blotches from some kind of rash that never healed properly.

Sirius snapped back to himself a few seconds later as the smaller boy cleared his throat.

"You know, as lovely as it is down here, I think I'd like to get up now," the tawny haired boy drawled, his deep brown eyes flashing up at Sirius in amusement.

Sirius scrambled to get off of the other boy as quickly as he could after that, clearing his throat and offering a hand to him. The other boy accepted it, and Sirius propelled him up. He watched the other teenager dust himself off before he spoke.

"Sorry, mate. Didn't see you there." To be quite honest, Sirius hadn't seen him. No, he hadn't ever seen this boy before. Neither when he'd been running down the corridor or on any other occasion. It seemed weird, considering the other boy was wearing a Gryffindor tie. And he looked to be in their year. How strange.

"It's quite all right," the tawny haired boy said, looking up at Sirius with brown eyes that shone in the light so that they appeared to have a gold tint to them. It sent chills up Sirius's spine, the look of them.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked. Sirius snapped back to reality, having been lost in thought from analyzing the boy before him.

"Oh? Me? Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, just zoned out for a split second there," Sirius said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. An easy grin spread across his face as he let out a bark of laughter.

A smile spread across the other boy's face, and Sirius felt his breath catch in his throat. Something about that smile made him freeze.

Sirius was straight. That was as much of a fact to him as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. But still, he wasn't afraid to admit when someone was aesthetically pleasing.

The boy in front of him wasn't the conventional good looking bloke. Blotches of rugged scars covered a lot of his skin (at least what Sirius could see of it, where it wasn't covered up by his jumper) and he was rather lanky. There were silver streaks in his tawny hair, and his uniform looked to be second hand. Really, he had a rather bookish appearance. But, there was something about him, those eyes. That smile…

"It's totally fine, mate," the boy said easily. "Are you late for something?" he asked.

Sirius swore as he glanced down at his watch. 9:04. Shit, McGonagall was going to let him have it now. "I'm sorry..?"

"Remus," the other teen supplied.

Sirius smiled despite himself. "I'm sorry, Remus. But I seem to be running late for English. Dear old Minnie can be a bit of a dragon, you know?"

Remus smiled. "Then by all means, you should be on your way. And do try to avoid falling on random passersby, yeah?" Remus said teasingly. He gave a wolfish grin, and Sirius smiled back.

"But, of course." He gave Remus a wink and a bow before taking off in the direction of Professor McGonagall's classroom.

* * *

Sirius, by the grace of God, avoided reprimand that morning. McGonagall herself was late to class because she had to break up a fight in the corridor between a few third year Slytherins and Gryffindors. (He'd seen her breaking up the altercation on his frantic race to class.) He'd made it to the classroom minutes before she'd be back.

With a sigh of relief, he walked to the back of the classroom, where James sat with Lily and Peter. James and Peter were in a heated conversation about football (the world cup was coming up next summer), and Lily was talking over her desk to her friend, Alice.

An easy smile curled his lips at the sight of his friends as he went to take a seat near James.

"Good morning, Sirius," Lily said kindly as he sat down, pausing her conversation with Alice. Sirius bent over and pecked her on the cheek in a friendly gesture.

"And to you too, Lily."

"Oi, watch it. That's my girlfriend, you know?" James said, mock-threateningly as he broke away from his conversation with Peter. He gave Sirius a light punch on the shoulder and Sirius smirked.

Lily raised an eyebrow at the two of them. Had it been anyone but James that had punched Sirius, even in a joking manner, they'd be eating their teeth right about now. It made her smile how close the two of them were. Just like brothers. She gave them one last glance before going back to her conversation with Alice.

"What took you so long, anyway?" James asked as he leaned back in his chair lazily.

"Oh, you know Prongs, just hit a bit of turbulence in the hall," Sirius said easily, those gold eyes seared into his mind's eye. For some reason he couldn't place, he didn't feel that he should tell them about Remus. Sure, it hadn't been a huge encounter or anything, but it felt private to him. Maybe if he felt like it he'd tell James about it later…

"Like what?" asked Peter suddenly. Sirius glanced over at him.

He looked Sirius up and down with his watery blue eyes, a look of amazement on his face. It didn't take a lot to impress Peter when it came to James and Sirius. If one of them shit, it would be the most spectacular thing to Peter, especially if it were James.

"Oh, you know, just some third years fighting in the corridor."

"Whoa, that sounds really amazing!" Peter said in awe, excitement evident in his voice.

"Wow there, Wormtail, don't wet yourself," James laughed.

Peter was more subdued after that, and Sirius and James picked up on the conversation about football that Peter and James had been having before Sirius arrived. They were in a heated debate, but James cut off as he caught sight of a dark figure from the corner of his eye that came in through the door and slinked its way to the back of the classroom.

James's mouth curled in disgust. "Oi, Padfoot, look who it is," he said in distaste.

Sirius followed James's line of sight, and he too hissed in anger.

"_Snivellus." _

Ever since they'd started school at Hogwarts just about seven years ago, the three boys had never gotten on; mostly because, in Sirius's opinion, Snape was a greasy little git that needed to keep his overly large nose in his own business. But in the last few months, their childish feud (as Lily had often called it) had broken out into a full blown mutual hatred.

Originally, Lily had been very good friends with Snape. But, after an argument between James and Snape, where Lily had tried to intervene on Snape's behalf, he had snapped at her, calling her a slur of names that Sirius could not recount without having the distinct want to beat the ever-loving hell out of the Slytherin. After that, Lily kept her distance from the other boy, but it had been clear that she was hurt by the whole ordeal.

"I'll kick his arse," James hissed, anger flaring in his voice.

"I'm right there with you, Prongs," Sirius agreed.

James made to get up and began to make his way to Snape's desk, but was stopped by the entrance of Professor McGonagall.

"Sit down, Mr. Potter," she said as she entered the room, laying her bag on her desk.

James looked like he wanted to protest, but Lily pulled him down by the hand, and he complied, albeit unwillingly.

The class fell silent as Professor McGonagall stood before them.

"We will be continuing with our reading and analysis of _Macbeth_ today, so turn into your literature books to page three-hundred-and-ninety-four. But, before we continue with class today, I have an announcement to make." McGonagall paused, her sharp, catlike eyes scanning the classroom.

"We have a new student among us today. If you'll all be so kind as to help me welcome Mr. Remus Lupin."

There was complete silence over the classroom as the tawny haired boy that Sirius had run into just twenty minutes before walked into the room. Hushed whispers began as Remus stood beside McGonagall, looking a lot smaller now under the scrutiny of the classroom than he had looked in the hallway.

"_Look at it!"_

"_What's on his skin?!" _

"_Is he dying?" _

Sirius felt his blood boil as the whispers continued. By the look of sad acceptance on Remus's face, it was obvious that the idiots in the class weren't being quite as quiet as they thought they were, nor was it the first time that the other teen had heard these things.

Sirius felt himself go cold at that thought. He knew how that felt.

The whispers crescendoed in volume, and McGonagall, not so subtly, cleared her throat. Immediately, the whispers ceased.

McGonagall put a gentle hand on Remus's shoulder in a motherly show of reassurance. Remus's face had gone blank, but Sirius felt that he could still see the hurt in those hauntingly golden eyes.

"As you know," McGonagall started again, sending a reprimanding glance at her class, "it can be hard starting a new school, especially one's last year of formal schooling. I want you all to make Mr. Lupin feel welcome, is that clear?"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," the class said in sync. A lot of the students were still looking Remus up and down as if he were a science experiment, which made rage boil in Sirius's stomach.

"Very well," McGonagall said sternly. She looked at Remus, her features softening. "Mr. Lupin, if you would be so kind, please take a seat next to Mr. Snape. Severus, raise your hand."

Oh, Sirius really did not like this.

Snape raised his hand, and Remus made his way to the opposite end of the classroom, intent on not looking anywhere but the ground as strode over to the other boy.

When he reached the desk, he pulled out the chair and sat, leaning his school bag on one of the legs of the table. He looked over at Snape, who merely sneered and made to look in the other direction.

His expression remained very solemn for the rest of the period, and when the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Remus was the first one out the door.

Sirius felt as if he'd swallowed lead.

* * *

Thank you for reading! This is my first Harry Potter fanfiction, so I hope I've kept everyone as in-character as possible. Since this is a prologue, it's much shorter than the future chapters. Most are double or more this chapter.

I don't have a beta at the moment, so if you spot any errors, please feel free to point them out and I'll correct them accordingly.

Thanks again for reading, and please review!


	2. Chapter 1

_Recommended Track: Wings by Birdy_

Chapter 1

_Remus_

Remus breathed deeply as he pulled himself from his father's beat up old Ford Escort. His joints ached as he righted himself, though he ignored it and gently closed the passenger side door behind him. He waited for his father to get out of the car before making his way to the boot to retrieve his trunk.

Just as the boot clicked, signifying it to be unlocked, Lyall Lupin put a hand on Remus's shoulder to stop him.

"Why don't you let me get that?" he asked gently. He had a soft look on his face, and Remus had to look away quickly to keep from cringing.

He hated that look. It was one of pity, one of fear, one that his father had been giving him for months. Ever since his mother had died, just six months before, that look had had a perpetual home in Lyall's eyes.

"I'm sick, not invalid," Remus's muttered dismissively. He almost wished that he hadn't at the look of hurt that enveloped his father's features, but said nothing. As much as it hurt him, it pained Remus more. To have his own father look at him as if he were a corpse walking, it was something that he was glad that he wouldn't be seeing as frequently.

A silence fell over them as Remus struggled with his tattered trunk. Lyall looked as if he wanted to help, desperately so, but made no move to do so. This, in Remus's opinion, was probably for the better. It was for the best that he got used to the separation now. He'd be better off without him at home for a while, anyway. His father could possibly find a new job and make up what wages he'd lost over the years taking care of Remus and his mother.

At one time, they'd been pretty well off. Lyall had been a fairly successful accountant at a big firm that was located in the heart of London, and he had made a decent living. That was when Remus was very young, though. His mother had started showing symptoms just a little while after he was born. When she fell ill, Lyall had to cut back on his hours at the office to care for her.

And then when Remus had taken up ill just two years after that, Lyall had to quit his job completely and find something that required less time, which, inevitably meant less money. And with the cost of their treatment and medication, it was a wonder that they had made it this far.

He felt guilty for this. His father had done so much for him. He'd loved him fiercely, had done everything in his power for Remus.

Remus recalled a particular memory from his youth when he was first diagnosed, and not quite adjusted to the joint pain that Lupus entailed. He would frequently wake up in a fit of tears over the pain.

One particular night, when the pain was exceptionally agonizing, Lyall had rushed him to St. Mungo's. The doctors had given him some low-intensity pain killers, as he was still small, and kept him overnight for observation.

Even with the medicine, the pain still festered like a badly infected wound. Lyall had sat on the side of Remus's hospital bed for hours, running his fingers through Remus's tawny hair and whispering reassurances to him.

It had been a stressful time for Lyall, Remus knew. His mother had been in the intensive care unit for the four days prior, due to inflammation in her heart. It had caused it to beat at an irregular pace, and it appeared that she had acquired some sort of infection in her weakened state.

Nevertheless, Lyall had stayed calm in the face of stress, and held Remus through the night. By some miracle, he'd drifted off sometime early in the morning. When he woke up the following day, his father had been sprawled in the uncomfortable chair next to his bed.

It hurt to remember things like that. It wounded Remus to see how devastated his father had been at his mother's death after all he had done for them. He couldn't even bear to live in the same house after she died. Just a few days ago they had moved into a small flat on the outskirts of London.

It pained Remus to know that he was going to cause that to happen to his father yet again.

Remus knew that he'd go the same way as his mother. Maybe if he didn't have such an aggressive form of Lupus he'd be more hopeful. But the doctors didn't seem enthusiastic that his condition would improve, so neither was he. In some cases, Lupus went away. But Remus had suffered his whole life with the disease to its full extent. Some days, he thought death would be a blessing. He sometimes wondered if his mother had ever thought the same.

But for now, he believed it best that he distance himself from his father. That way, when the day came that the disease finally claimed him, his father wouldn't be as devastated as he was when it had taken his mother.

Dismissing his thoughts, Remus finally seemed to get a good grip on his trunk. As he tried to adjust it to make it easier to hold, he heard a booming voice from the gate, just a little way from where the car was parked, and both Remus and his father turned sharply towards the sound.

"Yah mus' be tha' Lupins!"

Remus looked up from his trunk to see possibly the biggest man that he had ever encountered in his life stepping outside the front gate to meet them. The man towered over him, though his face was jolly. He wore a dark mole skin jacket and his bottle black eyes crinkled in mirth. He had a long, curly black beard, with equally long hair. Despite his somewhat intimidating appearance, Remus knew immediately that he liked him. He gave off an atmosphere of kindness, and Remus knew that there was more to people than their appearances let on.

"Hello," Lyall said politely. "Yes, we are the Lupins. I'm Lyall, and this is my son, Remus," he said carefully. "And you are..?"

"Oh! Where 're my manners? Hagrid. Rubeus Hagrid. 'M the grounds keeper here at Hogwarts. Headmaster Dumbledore sent me to meet yah, and show young Remus here to his dorm," said Hagrid.

"Why don't you let me take that for yah, Remus?" Hagrid asked, seeing Remus struggle to shift his trunk into a more comfortable position.

Remus made to protest, but the grounds keeper cut him off, taking the trunk and propping it on his shoulder.

"Really, no problem at all!" Hagrid reassured with an easy smile.

With a sigh, Remus nodded his thanks.

Hagrid turned to Remus's father an instant later. "Would yah like to come with us ta' see tha School before yah leave?"

Lyall looked contemplative at the question, but at the pleading look on Remus's face, he shook his head in reply.

"No, I shouldn't. I need to be heading out. Have to get home, get the new place set up," he said in that fake, cheery tone Remus knew so well. It made his stomach churn.

"Ah course! Wouldn't want to keep yah waitin'," Hagrid said. "Now, if yah're ready, Remus?"

Remus nodded, casting one last wayward glance at his father as means of goodbye.

"I love you," Lyall said as he turned back to the Ford Escort.

Remus did not reply. Instead he turned to speak to Hagrid. "Yes of course."

"A'right, follow me!" Hagrid muttered a quick goodbye to Lyall before placing a hand on Remus's shoulder and guiding him through the gates onto the grounds of Hogwarts.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, Hagrid leading and Remus trailing just a bit behind him.

Remus took time to look around the grounds as they neared the school. A thick, beautiful forest surrounded the main grounds of Hogwarts. Since it was autumn, the leaves were lovely shades that varied from their normal green. The air smelled sweet with their scent.

A huge lake sat just a small ways from the school. But, as they approached closer to their destination, what impressed Remus most was the magnificent castle that was the school. It looked hundreds of years old, but it was obvious that it was well cared for.

"It's beautiful, init it?" Hagrid said suddenly.

"Extremely," Remus agreed.

"Yah'll like it here," said Hagrid. "Lots ah good folks, teachers and students alike."

"Is that so?" Remus didn't really care that much about how the people were. He'd prepared himself for the stares that he was bound to get. His disease had very visual evidence of its presence. Blotchy scars littered his body, but, luckily, he'd not yet acquired any on his face.

"Yah bet! 'Specially the Headmaster. Dumbledore is the smartest, kindest man I've ever met!" Hagrid's face glowed as he talked. As they progressed in their trudge to the school, Hagrid continued to speak.

"He was the only one who'd consider me 'fur a job. A lot ah other folks didn't want to give me the time of day, thought I was too scary tah have around. Dumbledore, though, he was always real kind tah me. Gave me an interview, never treated me like I was different. I've been here for going on about ten years now." Hagrid was teary eyed by the end of his small speech about the headmaster.

"He sounds like a good man," Remus said, feeling a wave of respect for the faceless Headmaster.

"A very good man," Hagrid agreed.

They ambled toward the school after that, a comfortable silence falling over them. They walked for another short time and the steps of the castle grew nearer, only a few scanty yards between the two of them and the threshold of the school. Remus suddenly turned to Hagrid.

"Hey, Hagrid?" he asked.

"Yah?" Hagrid replied, looking over his shoulder at him.

"Do you think that you can show me to the infirmary? I need to speak with the matron." He said this uneasily, not wanting Hagrid to look at him with pity. Much to his delight, however, the man took it in stride, as if Remus had only asked him the time of day.

"Sure thing," he said with a smile and a twinkle in his black eyes.

They entered the school through large double doors into a spectacular space with many winding staircases.

Hagrid guided him through the twists and turns of the corridors, and further into the depths of the castle. They had been walking for ten minutes (or, at least that's what it felt like to Remus) before they finally stopped in front of a door.

It was open, so Remus could make out rows of beds on either side of the room, a few of them filled. It was quite large, and had a golden tint to it. But, surprisingly, it smelled of tea and the cracklings of a fire rather than the sterile scent of St. Mungo's that he was used to. He personally liked the difference.

"Thar yah ar'," Hagrid said, patting him on the back. "Jus' go in an' see Madam Pomfrey. I'll go find Professor McGonagall so she can give yah yer timetable, and get yer trunk squared away in yer room. Mah cabin's just a little way from the castle. At the end of the day, yah can meet me out there and I can show yah tah yer dorm."

"That's very kind of you, thanks," Remus said, flashing Hagrid a reluctant smile. Not missing a beat, Hagrid returned it tenfold.

With one more reassuring pat on the back, Hagrid turned on his heal and headed the opposite direction of which they'd come.

Taking a deep breath, which made his rips ache faintly (nothing he wasn't used to), he strode into the infirmary. He looked around, trying to locate the matron, feeling more awkward by the second as a few second years looked him up and down, their eyes lingering especially long on his scars.

It made him extremely uncomfortable, and he was about to just turn around and leave when a white haired old woman poked her head out from what seemed to be an office, appearing to have heard him enter. He assumed that she was Madam Pomfrey.

"Can I help you, dear?" Remus noticed that, unlike Hagrid, there was obvious sympathy in her voice as her eyes lingered on his hands.

Nevertheless, he put up a polite front. "Yes, thank you. My name is Remus Lupin," he started. Recognition flashed on her face.

"Oh yes, yes! Mr. Lupin, of course! I've been expecting you! Please, step into my office." She gestured over her shoulder to the door that was on the other end of the room, where she had emerged just moments before.

He nodded cordially and crossed the small distance to her office. Though, it felt difficult as he felt several pairs of eyes boring into his back as he went. He stepped through the threshold of the room and waited for Madam Pomfrey to enter behind him. She did seconds later, shutting the door with a click.

"As you know," she started, "I've talked with your father. You'll be coming here for your anti-inflammatory medication every other day, unless, of course, you need any pain medication. You're welcome to it up to twice a day."

There was a slight silence after she spoke, her eyes finding their way once again to his hands. Subconsciously, he tugged the sleeves of his jumper further down. Catching herself, the matron's eyes snapped back up to his face.

She cleared her throat awkwardly, a forced smile finding its way to her lips. "Now, do you have any questions for me, dear?"

"I do actually," Remus interjected courteously. "I was wondering if, perhaps, I may be able to keep the medication on my own person. I've been medicating myself for years now, and I wouldn't want to bother you on such a frequent basis for something that I'm quite capable of doing for myself."

In all honesty, Remus didn't care that much about bothering the matron. He'd just rather avoid questions about where he was going each time he needed to take his prescription.

Madam Pomfrey's brow furrowed with worry. She gave him a smile laced with clear remorse and understanding.

"I'm very sorry, dear, but I can't allow that. It's a liability issue to the school. If someone were to get your pills and take them, or if you were to accidentally over dose…"

"It's quite all right. I imagined that it would work out that way; I just thought I'd ask."

"Are there any other questions that you have?" she asked, looking apologetic.

"No, ma'am."

"All right then. I'll be seeing you tomorrow evening after supper, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good, you may head to class—" she began to say, but was interrupted by a sharp rap on the door.

"Come in," said Madam Pomfrey.

The door opened to reveal a tall, black haired woman. Her glasses rested low on the bridge of her nose, her hair done up in a tight bun. She wore a longed-sleeved, velvet green dress that reached the floor. She had a very stern look about her, and Remus knew immediately that she was not someone that he would want to cross.

"Hello, Poppy," she said with a very posh accent. She cast her eyes to Remus. Her gaze was austere, and there was no pity in it. However, her face did soften after a juncture.

"Hello, Minerva," Madam Pomfrey replied cheerfully.

"And hello, Remus." She held out a wrinkled hand to him, and he took it tactfully and shook.

"My name is Professor Minerva McGonagall. I will be your head of house, as well as your English teacher. You'll be in Gryffindor house, if you weren't aware." She pointed to his red and gold stripped tie with an elegant finger. "It's very nice to meet you," she said kindly.

"And you, Professor." Remus decided then that he liked Professor McGonagall.

"Here I have your time table and a map of the school," she said, pulling two smooth, thick crème sheets of paper out of her bag and handing them to him. He took them carefully, thanking her as he did so.

"You'll find that your first period is with me. Just as soon as you're done here, we can go there together."

"I was actually just heading out," said Remus.

"Wonderful, let's be going, then." She turned around swiftly on one heel, making her way out of the small office. Remus followed behind her quickly, though his knees groaned in protest.

They crossed the infirmary and exited out through the door, back into the corridor. McGonagall turned to make her way down the next corridor, but stopped when she spotted a student running down the passageway towards them.

"There better be a very good reason that you're running in the halls," she drawled, her voice flinty.

"Of course, Professor," the female student said breathlessly, as if she'd run a marathon.

"Well?" McGonagall inquired.

"There's a fight, down by Slytherin dorms!"

"Oh, heavens!" she said in an exasperated tone. Promptly, she turned to face Remus.

"I apologize, Mr. Lupin. I have to take care of this. Would you be so kind as to wait here while I deal with this? I'll come back to fetch you when it's been dealt with."

"Of course, Professor."

She nodded to him, and then disappeared down the hallway with the other student.

Remus sighed deeply (which he seemed to be doing rather a lot today) and made to lean against the wall. It was still so early, and already the grating ache in his joints seemed to crescendo, becoming more unpleasant by the minute.

Sure, he was still at the infirmary, but he chose not to go back in. He'd really prefer not to be gawked at like a rare specimen again so soon. Plus, by the looks of it, the pain would be a lot worse by the day's end, and he didn't want to waste one of his two doses of pain medication so early on.

Gently, he leaned against the wall, letting the cool stone sooth his aching muscles. He let his eyes flutter shut and his mind wander.

This was the first time since grade three that he would be attending an actual school. He'd been too sick up until this point for his father to even consider it. And, the fact of the matter was that it had been easier for him to be home schooled. He kept an eye on his mother while his father was at work, as she too watched over him.

That was one of the things that Remus missed most about her. Before she'd been ill, she had been an English teacher. Some of Remus's best memories of her had to do with books. After they'd finished with whatever lesson that she had lined up for him that day, they would sit together and she would read to him.

The recollection of the way she lit up when they discussed her favorite books after they'd finished reading brought a nostalgic ache to Remus's chest. He missed her. He missed her with everything that he had.

Remus supposed that was one of the reasons his father agreed to let him come to school at Hogwarts. It probably had crushed him to come home from job hunting to see Remus, his mother nowhere in sight as she had always been before.

He'd felt guilty about that. He felt even worse knowing that he would cause that to happen to his father once more. But, he hoped, while he was gone and out of sight, the wounds of his mother passing would heal, as well as get him used to life without Remus in it.

Who knew? Maybe his father would make friends. Good friends, like he had before everything in their lives had gone so horribly wrong. Then maybe—

And just like that, Remus was one his back, on the floor, with something rather heavy on top of him. His muscles groaned in protest and he tried to bite back the moan of pain that made to escape his lips, but failed.

A split-second later, in which he silently questioned a deity that may or may not have been listening about why these situations always happened to him and not some other bloke, he opened his eyes.

He tried hard not to gape. What he first saw were the most startlingly grey eyes. They were beautiful, like the sky before a thunderstorm.

The boy above him had dark, rich hair that curled at the end. It was a little less than shoulder length. He had high arched eyebrows, and distinctly aristocratic features. Remus realized that he was staring.

He cleared his throat.

"You know, as lovely as it is down here, I think I'd like to get up now." He said it dryly, in what he intended to be a joking manner, but the thump of his heart revealed his true emotions on the matter.

The other teen sprung at his words. He scrambled to get to his feet, and although Remus would never admit it aloud, he was disappointed by the loss of heat.

The raven haired boy cleared his throat and offered a hand to Remus. Timidly he accepted it, surprised as the other pulled him up with seamless ease. The other boy was a good few inches taller than him, he noted.

"Sorry, mate. Didn't see you there," the boy said, an easy grin spreading on his face.

"It's quite all right," Remus said quickly.

The dark haired teen seemed to still, just studying Remus. Remus waited for a look of sympathy, or disgust, depending on the other boy's view of blotchy scars, but he found that neither was true. It seemed that the other was intently watching Remus's eyes. It was a pleasant change, but all the same, it made him just a bit uncomfortable.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

That seemed to snap him back to reality.

"Oh? Me? Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, just zoned out for a split second there," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. He grinned, letting out what Remus could only describe as a bark of laughter.

"It's totally fine, mate. Are you late for something?" Remus asked, seeing as he seemed to be in so much of a hurry that he didn't notice a whole person in his way.

The other looked down and swore at his watch in response.

"I'm sorry..?" he drawled out, waiting for a name.

"Remus," he injected.

The other teen smiled in response.

"I'm sorry, Remus. But I seem to be running late for English. Dear old Minnie can be a bit of a dragon, you know?"

Minnie? Was he talking about Professor McGonagall?

"Then by all means, you should be on your way. And do try to avoid falling on random passersby, yeah?" Remus gave a wolfish grin.

"But of course," he replied, giving a wink and a bow before taking off down the corridor where Professor McGonagall had gone.

Remus felt his cheeks heat as he watched the retreating back. It occurred to him a moment later that he had not asked the other boy's name.

* * *

About ten minutes after the retreat of the mysterious boy, Professor McGonagall returned. Remus had been pouring over his time table before her arrival, those grey eyes still lingering on the edge of his mind.

Today, he had English, a free period, Environmental Science, and Pre-Calculus. Tomorrow he'd have Law & Justice, European History, a free period, and Green House. Not too bad. He'd also found his dorm on the map, and his dorm number on his timetable. He still intended to go to Hagrid's cabin at the day's end, though. He wanted to make sure he would make it to his dorm in the least stressful way.

He was just folding up the two pieces of paper to put in his satchel when McGonagall finally made it to him, looking more disheveled than when he'd first met with her.

"I apologize for the delay, Mr. Lupin."

"Not at all, Professor," said Remus.

She nodded, gesturing for him to follow her. He did, falling a few paces behind. They walked for a while, but considerably less than the distance he'd traversed with Hagrid to the infirmary.

Finally, McGonagall came to a halt, Remus stopping a beat later. She turned to him, one hand outstretched toward the doorknob.

"I'll be introducing you to the class, so if you'd be so kind as to wait for me to call for you," she said, her stern voice taking a kinder tone.

"Of course," Remus agreed, though he'd rather not be introduced to his peers. He knew from experience what was coming, and couldn't push the dread that bubbled up in his chest at the thought of it. He just wanted a quiet existence at Hogwarts. He was content to be invisible among the student populace.

"Very well." McGonagall laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. With a nod, she turned on her heel, her dress billowing behind her as she entered the classroom.

Remus held his breath, listening to the voices just beyond the door.

"Sit down, Mr. Potter," McGonagall's voice rang out.

There was a pause and some shuffling before she continued.

"We will be continuing with our reading and analysis of _Macbeth_ today, so turn in your literature books to page three-hundred-and-ninety-four. But, before we continue with class, I have an announcement to make."

It was coming, Remus realized with dread.

"We have a new student among us today. If you'll all be so kind as to help me welcome Mr. Remus Lupin."

Remus felt glued to the spot, his legs like stone. He wanted to run. He wanted to get away. But he knew that neither were options.

He made his progression forward into the classroom, his legs dragging in resistance.

There was an audible collective gasp from the class, eyes scrutinizing his hands. Whispers and murmurs began.

"_Look at it!"_

"_What's on his skin?!" _

"_Is he dying?" _

Remus felt his checks flush in shame and embarrassment.

The whispers rose and grew louder, and Remus glued his eyes to the floor. He wanted to be somewhere else. He wanted to be in the cozy living room of his old home, his mother's voice echoing out as she read to him.

"As you know," McGonagall started again, her voice sharp as a razor, "it can be hard starting a new school, especially in one's last year of formal schooling. I want you all to make Mr. Lupin feel welcome, is that clear?"

Well, they were definitely doing a shit job so far, Remus thought bitterly.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," the class said in chorus.

"Very well," she said, casting a gentle look Remus's way. "Mr. Lupin, if you would be so kind, please take a seat next to Mr. Snape. Severus, raise your hand."

Remus glanced up to see a greasy haired, hooked nosed boy thrust his hand into the air, a grimace of distaste on his face.

With a mental sigh, he made his way over to the boy, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. He felt many pairs of eyes locked onto his back as he made his way down the aisle, making him feel distinctly unclean.

He finally made it to his desk, after what felt like hours, but was in reality only a few seconds. He pulled out the chair beside Snape, taking a seat. Leaning down, he propped his bag against the table leg and grabbed the purple literature book under his chair, turning in it to the page that McGonagall had instructed just a minute ago.

When he was all set up and situated, he finally cast a glance over at Snape. The greasy haired teen merely sent a look of repulsion his way before turning back to his book.

Remus sank into his seat in resignation. He found it particularly hard to concentrate for the remainder of class, feeling one particular set of eyes constantly upon him. However, he did not dare look up and see who it was, as not to draw even more unwanted attention to himself.

He felt distinct relief flood him ninety minutes later as the bell rung, signifying the end of the period.

He bolted out of the door before anyone had even made to get up, intent on spending his free period as well as lunch hidden away in the library.

* * *

I've finally got a beta! A very special thanks to M.J. Blacklake for her help and editing on this chapter.

Also, she pointed out to me that it wasn't very clear how old everyone was. In this story, the main cast, AKA marauders + Lily, are all about 17 years old.

Well, anyway, thank everyone who's favorited/followed/reviewed the story. It means so much to me!

Thank you all for reading and please review!


	3. Chapter 2

_Recommended__ Track: Be Ok by Ingrid Michaelson _

Chapter 2

_Sirius_

"That's just awful," Lily said, shoving a folder back into her school bag angrily.

"What, Lils?" James asked in concern, grasping her hand firmly to stop her from abusing more of her school supplies.

"How could they say those things about him? And did you see how they were staring at him? I bet he felt just awful!"

"Lily, dear, what are you talking about?" James asked, a look of confusion marring his handsome features.

"Are you daft? Lupin! Who else?"

Sirius really loved Lily. Her compassion was one of her best qualities and it endeared her to him all the more. But in this case, he wished that she'd drop it. He knew from experience that pity was not something that anyone wanted in these types of situations, and she was getting dangerously near that area of emotion.

"We have to go find him and make sure he's all right!" she said suddenly, snapping Sirius out of his musings.

"Lily, I don't know if that's a good idea," Sirius interjected.

"And why not?" she asked, her bright red hair fanning around her as she turned to meet Sirius's eyes.

"Well, he was just publicly humiliated. I don't think I'd feel like having a random group of strangers coming up to check on me. Plus, you have to get to Calculus, and you don't even know if he has class next period," Sirius reasoned.

"They may be true, but—"

"Lily," James interrupted, placing a placating hand on her shoulder, "he's right. Right now it doesn't look like there's anything we can do."

"I don't like this," she said, her voice defeated.

"Tell you what," Sirius said, "I have next period free. I'll keep an eye out for him. If I see him, I'll make sure that he's all right."

"Thank you." Lily smiled, pecking Sirius on the cheek. "If you do find him, invite him to have lunch with us. It would be incredibly lonely to sit by himself on his first day of school."

"Will do, Lils."

Lily gave Sirius a reassuring pat on the shoulder and then turned around and grasped onto James's hand, pulling him behind her and out the door and into the corridor.

"Good luck, Padfoot," James called over his shoulder before he disappeared from sight, Peter trailing behind him.

"Thanks," Sirius replied. "I think I'll need it," he muttered under his breath so that no one could hear.

* * *

Sirius didn't generally like to judge a book by its cover, but he thought that he had a fairly good idea of where Remus had gone off to. The tawny haired teen gave off an aura of bookishness, in Sirius's opinion, and he was fairly certain that the other had taken refuge in the library if he was not in class.

He was glad that Lily had dropped it and let him go off in search of Remus himself. He didn't know what it was about the boy, but his heart thrummed in anticipation at the thought of seeing him once more.

He traversed his way through the corridors silently, very much out of character for the usually loud eldest Black. He did not come in contact with an abundance of people on his way to the library. Seventh year students, if they chose not to take up electives, were the only year of students allowed free periods. Most everyone else was in class.

He walked the winding corridors for a while longer, and soon enough the oak double doors of the library came into view. He pulled on the handle of one door confidently, not batting an eye at the glare Madam Pince threw at him.

He'd grown up in the toxic environment of the most _noble_ and _ancient_ house of Black. A librarian with an attitude problem wasn't going to shake him.

The library appeared to be empty at first glance, no one at any of the many tables or plush chairs that littered the main lobby. Sirius didn't let that stop him, and took to inspecting the different aisles. He started in the nonfiction section, near the books that most students used for research projects.

He sauntered through the aisles of research literature, keeping an eye out for that distinctive tawny hair. About half way through his search, in the M section, Sirius realized that Remus had not been there long enough to warrant researching anything. Unless the other boy had a particular affinity to meiosis, or some other subject that would be listed under in that particular section, he doubted that he would find him in this branch of the library.

He sighed, relocating his search to the fiction bookshelves, which were a lot less vast than their counterpart. He'd gone through about four aisles before he finally found what he was looking for.

On the floor sat Remus Lupin. His legs were crossed before him, a book in his lap. His golden eyes moved rapidly, taking in the text on the page. He seemed to be completely enamored in his reading. So much so that when Sirius cleared his throat to make his presence known, the tawny haired Gryffindor jumped a foot in the air.

"I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?" Sirius grinned.

Remus breathed heavily, putting a hand to his chest in an attempt to slow his rapidly beating heart. "No, of course not. Thank you, by the way, I love having a near heart attack." He grimaced, pressing his hand tighter against his chest.

Sirius laughed, sliding down to the floor and leaning his back against the opposite bookcase so that he was facing Remus.

"What are you reading?"

"_To Kill a Mockingbird_," Remus replied, flashing the red and black cover at Sirius. It was in fairly good condition, almost new, seeing as just about no one, besides maybe Lily, read fiction for pleasure.

"Hmm, interesting choice," Sirius mumbled, taking the book from Remus's grasp, careful to mark the page that the other boy had been on. He flipped it over, reading the synopsis on the back cover.

"You've read it?" Remus asked excitedly, his golden eyes flashing. Sirius felt his stomach dip in a strangely pleasant way.

"I did, when I was a bit younger." In truth, he'd only done it because he'd known that it would infuriate his mother and father. He'd borrowed it from the public library when he was about 10-years-old.

A few days after he'd finished it, his family's butler, Kreacher, had found it under his pillow while he was straightening up Sirius's room. He was a horrid racist, just like Sirius's parents, and had gone to his mother immediately, joyful at the prospect of his mistress punishing her son for what she called being a 'blood-traitor'.

"I don't really remember much about it, to tell you the truth." The beating he'd gotten afterward had mostly wiped his memory of the details of the novel. Anytime he tried to recall it, the only thing he remembered was the harsh whip of the belt on his bare back.

"I recommend giving it another read. It's a very powerful novel."

"Hm, I may just have to take your advice."

Remus smiled brightly, an expression that Sirius liked far better than the solemn acceptance that had plagued the boy's features throughout English.

"It occurred to me," Remus said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them, "that I didn't get your name this morning when we first, ah, encountered each other."

Sirius smiled, bearing his teeth in a manner eerily reminiscent of a dog. "It's Sirius. Sirius Black."

"Like the star?" Remus asked, a curious expression weaving his features.

"The very same."

"It suits you," he said quietly.

Sirius just hummed, not really knowing how to respond. He loved his name and hated it at the same time. On one hand, it was the brightest star in the night sky, never falling into the inky blackness around it, much like Sirius and his role in the Black family. Even after all these years, he had not let the dark ideals of his family taint him.

But he hated it too, because it fit in perfectly to the puzzle that was the Black family. His name looked right among the countless names of his family, present and past, that were etched into the Black family tree in the drawing room of his home of 17 years, Grimmauld Place.

Dismissing his less than cheery thoughts, he focused back on the book in his grip. Sirius cleared his throat and turned to the first page. He couldn't quite stop the yip of laughter from bubbling out.

"What?" Remus asked, looking slightly offended.

"What kind of a name is Jem?" Sirius laughed.

"Really, you of all people are going to laugh because of a strange name?"

"I enjoy irony," Sirius brushed off easily.

Remus's mouth quirked in amusement, but a second later a frown flickered into its place.

"Why are you here, Sirius?" He sounded tired, as if he was preparing for another taxing conversation after just escaping one.

Sirius, however, liked the way his name sounded on the other boy's tongue.

"I came to invite you to lunch. I would've in English. Unfortunately, you flew out of there like a bat out of hell, so I didn't get the chance. So, here we are, half an hour later, sitting on the floor in the library."

"You don't have to do that. I don't need pity or sympathy." Remus looked older in that moment, all prior traces of amusement vanishing, leaving in their place disappointed resignation. The silver in his hair caught in the light, making him appear even more haggard.

Sirius felt anger bubble in his chest. "Rest assured, Remus, I am not one to do things out of pity."

"Then why are you here?" Remus shot back. His brows knitted together as he peered up at Sirius, his disposition similar to that of a wounded animal.

"Because you're a clever bloke, and I think that we can be good friends," Sirius replied quietly a moment later, the irritation leaving his voice.

Remus was silent for a moment, staring down at the scarred hands in his lap. The stillness of the library became abruptly apparent to Sirius, leading him to believe that perhaps that had not been the right thing to say. Remus spoke just as Sirius made to open his mouth and apologize.

"I'd like that. Having lunch with you, I mean." His smile was at first reluctant, but as Sirius returned it with vigor, it grew larger and more genuine.

For the rest of the period, Sirius and Remus sat side by side, leaning against the bookshelf, discussing characters from the novel.

* * *

Remus was heatedly describing his favorite character in the novel, Scout's father—Atticus—to Sirius when the bell signaling the end of the period reverberated through the school. Seconds later, the clatter of feet and chatter of students could be heard, drifting in from the hallway.

Sighing, Sirius got to his feet, patting the dust off his trousers. He held out a hand to Remus, who took it gingerly after stashing the novel in his school bag.

Sirius pulled him up. Remus gave a quick nod of thanks when he was planted firmly on his feet, and spoke, "You're going to have to lead the way. I have a map, but I'm rubbish with directions."

"That's fine," Sirius replied, as they made their way out into the corridor, into the sea of students heading to the Great Hall. "I've been going here for seven years; I know this school like the back of my hand."

They walked steadily towards the Great Hall, Remus a few paces behind Sirius, for a few good minutes when the foyer came into view. It was elegant, with a huge glass chandelier, beautiful paintings, and a few strange statues.

There were grand staircases which lead to the Gryffindor dorms, and adjacent to them was the Great Hall. Its large double doors were opened, all years filing in for lunch.

From the look of it, as they got to the threshold of the Hall, they were some of the last ones there except for a few other stragglers who trailed in behind them.

The Great Hall had four extensive tables that stretched the length of the room. Each had a different banner suspended above it. The table on the far left's banner was emerald, a silver serpent in the center of it. Slytherin.

To the right was a banner of bronze and a deep violet-blue, a raven encrusted upon its middle. Ravenclaw.

Next, there was a canary-yellow and black banner, a Badger proudly displayed upon it. Hufflepuff.

And finally, to the far right, the final banner, made up of gold and scarlet. A noble lion reared its head back in what appeared to be a roar where it was embroidered into the fabric. Gryffindor.

At the head of the hall was a long table, overlooking the house tables. Staff members sat there, overlooking and supervising the students as they ate their midday meals.

Sirius grasped Remus by the wrist as he spotted James, dragging him over to their spots at the Gryffindor table.

Luckily, there were two seats available. Sirius sat quickly, his mouth watering at the selection of food before him. Rapidly, he spooned a good portion of Steak and Kidney pie on to his plate, noting that Remus had not sat down.

He looked over at the other boy, whose face had gone blank. Sighing internally, Sirius gave a reassuring smile as he pulled Remus down into the seat beside him. He noticed the many eyes that had locked onto Remus, and felt anger burn at him.

"They're idiots, just ignore them," he whispered to Remus, giving the other teenager a comforting pat on the back.

Remus nodded meekly, his eyes glued to his plate.

"Oi, Padfoot, good to see ya', mate!" James grinned, noticing Sirius's arrival. Sirius smirked back at him.

"And you must be Lupin!" James turned his gaze to Remus, and Sirius saw the other's body tense at being addressed.

"I am," he said quietly, his voice monotone, not at all like the teen who he had been heatedly discussing Atticus Finch with in the library just minutes ago.

"Good to meet you, mate! I'm James. James Potter." James held out a hand to Remus, a welcoming twinkle in his eyes. Remus took it dubiously and shook, seeming to relax after an encouraging look from Sirius.

"I'm Peter Pettigrew," came a voice from beside James.

Peter's watery blue eyes were looking Remus up and down uncertainly, in an unpleasantly scrutinizing way. His eyes lingered on Remus's right hand that was rested on the table and Remus shifted it to his lap self-consciously.

Sirius could've beaten Peter then and there.

"It's nice to meet you both," Remus said diplomatically.

"So, Remus," James started, "how do you like Hogwarts so far?"

"It's lovely," he said. "I never expected I would be attending school at a place like this."

"Really?" James asked, taking a bite of his bread before continuing. "Where'd you go before, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I was homeschooled."

"Wow! That's incredible!" Peter gasped in astonishment.

Remus chuckled. "You think so?"

"Of course! You could get up anytime you wanted! Sleep in as long as you pleased!"

"Whoa there, Wormtail, calm down!" Sirius said, a bark of laughter punctuating his statement.

Peter looked hurt, but continued his questioning. "Why'd you come to Hogwarts then?"

Remus was quiet, a melancholy appearance casting his face. "Er…- some family issues. At the moment, it's just easier for me to be here."

James shot an understanding look Remus's way. Sirius kicked Peter under the table, and the plump boy let out an inhumane squeal.

"I apologize for Peter," Sirius said. "He rarely thinks before he speaks." Sirius flung a glare Peter's way.

"I'm sorry, Remus!" Peter said, remorse apparent in his watery eyes.

"It's all right," Remus said.

"Anyway," James said, "Remus, what's your opinion of football?"

Sirius grinned. Leave it to James to make it about sports.

"Well," Remus began, chewing his thumb nail, "I've never actually gotten to play, but my father's taken me to a few games. He loves it. I find it amusing to watch."

"That's what I like to hear! You should come watch Sirius and I play against Hufflepuff next week!" James looked like a kid who'd been given the keys to a candy store.

"I'd love to. Thanks for inviting me," Remus said, the boy that he was in the library poking out from underneath that solemn veil.

"Great! We ca—"

"I'm sorry I'm late! I had some questions about tangents for Professor Flitwick and the time just got away from me!" Lily apologized, sitting down heavily on James's right, pecking him on the cheek.

"Lily -dear, it's nice to see you," James gushed, kissing her on the forehead.

Sirius turned to Remus. "I apologize from the mushy show of affection. It can be sickening without prior exposure," he said with a snort.

"Don't laugh at us, Padfoot. You're just jealous!"

"Jealous of what exactly?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

A leering grin spread on James's lips. "That I'm getting some and you're not!"

"James!" Lily roared, a flush spreading her cheeks.

"I can get some anytime I want, thank you," Sirius smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sirius!" Lily shrieked. "That is crude!"

"Don't be such a prude, Lils," Sirius retorted.

Lily's face turned an interesting shade of puce that contrasted sharply with her bright red hair, and she looked as if she was getting ready to blow up, when she noticed Remus, chuckling, from her peripheral vision.

Her face began to return to its normal shade as she looked over at him.

"I am so, so sorry about them," she started apologetically, glaring at James and Sirius. "I'm Lily Evans." She held out her hand to him.

"Remus Lupin and it's quite all right." He took her hand and shook it delicately. Her emerald green eyes lit up with joy at the exchange.

"It's very nice to meet you, Remus," said Lily.

"Likewise," Remus agreed.

"Anyway, what were you boys talking about before I arrived?" Lily asked, scooping a mound of mashed potatoes onto her plate.

"Football," James supplied, talking a drink from his goblet.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Because you know me so well, Lily -dearest."

"What positions do you guys play?" Remus asked, looking to Sirius.

"I'm the goalkeeper," Sirius said in between bites of his lunch, glad that Remus was talking, "and dear ole' Prongsie here, he's our sweeper. A damn good one at that," he added.

"Oh, Padfoot, you make me blush," James joked.

"I give credit where it's due," Sirius shrugged. He made to take a swig from his goblet when he noticed that Remus's plate was completely desolate of food of any kind.

"You going to eat, Remus?" he asked, eyeing the other boy warily.

"Oh? No, I had a rather large breakfast," Remus brushed off.

Sirius felt a pang in his chest, but nodded.

They continued their conversation for the duration of lunch, only stopping a few minutes before it was time to return to class, as the kitchen workers came around to collect the dirtied dishes.

"Do you know what number dorm you're going to be in?" James asked Remus, wiping a tear from his eye after a particularly hilarious joke, courtesy of Sirius.

"It says on my time table dorm 10," Remus replied, coming down from his own chuckling fit. "I'm supposed to go to Hagrid's cabin after class lets out so that he can show me."

"Looks like we have a new roommate," James smirked.

Remus looked surprised as Sirius slapped him on the back. "Hope you don't mind messy living quarters."

"I think I'll live," Remus shrugged, looking genuinely pleased. "But I still need to go see Hagrid at the day's end. Don't want him to put off his plans for the rest of the day because he's waiting on me."

"Hm, sounds fun. I could walk you down there, if you'd like," Sirius offered. "Then we could walk back to the dorm together. Wouldn't want you getting lost."

Remus gave him a fond smile. "I'd like that."

"It's settled then. What are your next two classes?" Sirius asked, handing his plate to a frumpy kitchen worker with a smile.

"Um," Remus paused, pulling his time table from his bag. "Environmental science and Pre-Calculus," he read off.

"Hm, no good on third, but it looks like you have it with Lily, and fourth with me. What about tomorrow?" Sirius questioned.

"Law & Justice, European History, free period, and Green House," Remus listed.

"You have four out of four classes with Pads," James said, a goofy grin on his face.

"Is that so?" Remus smiled.

"Yep. The three of us have Law & Justice together tomorrow too," said James.

"I'm all by myself besides English," Peter despaired, taking one last bite of his bread. A kitchen worker plucked it out of his hand and tossed it in a rubbish bin as she made her rounds. "I was still eating that," Peter grumbled as she moved down the table.

"You shouldn't have been lazy when you were picking classes, then," said Lily.

"Yeah, but—" the bell chimed, cutting Peter off.

"See you in Pre-Cal, Remus," Sirius said as he got up from the bench.

"Yeah, see you."

Sirius met up with James at the entrance to the Great Hall, glancing once more at Remus before he was dragged away by Lily, and out of sight.

* * *

"Look at that git," James snarled.

Sirius looked up from his notebook, which he'd been taking notes on the Periodic Table in, and followed his best mate's line of vision.

Snape was talking in hushed voices with none other than Lucius Malfoy. The sight of Snape alone was enough to make Sirius want to punch something, but the greasy haired boy together with his cousin Narcissa's fiance made his skin crawl.

"Bunch of wankers, both of them," Sirius hissed, pressing his pencil a bit too hard on his notebook, causing the tip to break off.

"I'd like to _accidently _drop some sulfuric acid on that bloody arsehole. Lily is still so upset over him! She thinks that it was her fault! Can you believe that? How could she think she's responsible for that muppet's—"

"Mr. Potter, would you like to tell the rest of the class what you were discussing with Mr. Black instead of paying attention?"

Professor Slughorn stood in front of the chalk board, where he'd previously been explaining atomic mass, and glared at James and Sirius.

"Well—" James began, stopping when Sirius stomped on his foot under the table. "No, Professor. Sorry, Professor."

"I won't warn you again. Next time it's detention." Slughorn turned back to the chalk board and continued to drown on about atomic mass.

Lucius Malfoy turned around in his seat and sneered at James and Sirius a moment later.

_Bugger off, _Sirius mouthed.

* * *

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